In the year 1696,** Peter the Great becomes the sole tsar of Russia** (Jan 29), fleet of the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire clash near the Greek island of Andros (Aug 22), a famine wipes out almost a third of the population in Finland, window tax is introduced in England, construction of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna begins - and all these fine people were born:

1696-0105 Giuseppe Galli Bibiena* Italian architect/designer - Parma (1757/61) 1696-0402 Francesca Cuzzoni* opera singer - Parma, Italy (1778/82) 1696-0611 James Francis Edward Keith* soldier/Prussian field marshal/Governor of Berlin - Inverugie Castle, Scotland (1758/62) 1696-0714 William Oldys* antiquarian/bibliographer - London, England (1761/64) 1696-0724 Benning Wentworth* governor - Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire (1770/74) 1696-08xx Maria Tuomaantytär Västilä** (b Seppänen) mother of Jaakko Heikinpoika Renko - Seppänen farm, Hyyppä, Kauhajoki, Sweden-Finland (1779/83) 1696-0801 1696-0810 1696-0812 Maurice Greene* composer/organist - London, England (1755/59) 1696-0817 Jacob af Forselles* (b Forssell) merchant/ industrialist/mayor of Loviisa - Vehkalahti, Sweden-Finland (1768/72) 1696-0820 1696-0831 1696-1001 Simo Antinpoika Rasku* (b Seppälä) father of Valpuri Simontytär Renko - Ilmajoki, Sweden-Finland (1745/48) 1696-1010 Chen Hongmou* scholar/philosopher - Lingui, Guangxi, China (1771/74) 1696-1020 1696-1031 1696-1222 James Oglethorpe* soldier/philanthropist/founder of the colony of Georgia - Godalming, Surrey, England (1785/88) Updated 17.4.2023-4 Search for another year here